Item of Footwear with Integrated Midfoot Roll

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an item of footwear which has an integrated midfoot roll and of which the upper is connected to an insole and an outsole shell ( 5 ). According to the invention, the outsole shell ( 5 ) contains two mouldings ( 3, 4 ) located one above the other, wherein the moulding ( 4 ), which is arranged at the bottom of the outsole shell ( 5 ), is harder than the moulding ( 3 ), which is located on top, and the outsole shell ( 5 ), and wherein the top moulding ( 3 ) is softer than the outsole shell ( 5 ).

BACKGROUND

This invention concerns an item of footwear with integrated metatarsal roll according to the generic part of patent claim 1.

It is known that during a lifetime the human foot is subjected to extreme stresses. When factors, such as incorrect footwear, obesity or overstress due to sporting activity are added, this can often lead to problems of the ankle joints, the Achilles tendon or the entire metatarsal area.

The ankle joint is the connecting element between the foot and the leg and, just like the knee joint, is under the entire load of the body. The high stresses mentioned, like age, obesity and sport often lead to the wear of the cartilage and the often described arthritis, that hinder the natural movement and rolling processes.

The Achilles tendon too, that represents, so to say, the extension of the calf musculature and is tendonously attached to the calcaneum, is subjected to high stress already under normal load. Although as the strongest tendon of the body it is designed for this, however, unfortunately due to many years of wearing shoes partly with too high heels and the resulting from this jerking extension and contraction of the tendons at each step the resulting inflammations make painless walking almost impossible.

However, not only the wearing of high heels, but also the walking and standing for years on hard flat grounds has a continuous detrimental effect on the feet.

Because the natural arch support, as it exists when walking barefoot on soft ground, is absent, with the lapse of time the longitudinal and transverse arches fall. A too severe fall of the transverse arch results in a splay-foot. The heads of the metatarsal bones fall and fully stand up. A painless rolling of the feet during walking is no longer possible in this case either.

As in the case of all symptoms mentioned, one deals with restrictions of the rolling process during walking or running, the orthopedic shoemaker often adds material to the underside of the shoe sole in the region of the metatarsus. The transitions to the tip of the sole and the heel are smoothed out and the result is a roll of the type wherein the apex, as a rule, is under the three cuneiform bones of the tarsus. The so called metatarsal roll helps the wearer to roll stabilized and softly. It relieves the function of the tarsal joints and the upper ankle joint pains are alleviated and the alternating stresses of the Achilles tendon are dampened.

Unfortunately the placing of material on the underside of the outer sole gives the shoe an orthopedic and clumsy look. Even in the case of conventional shoe manufacturers, whose program includes models with metatarsal roll, the shoe soles still have the typical balloon or seesaw-like looks.

From WO 0115560 A1 an item of footwear is known, wherein the roll is designed more pronounced than usual. Thus the foot should be intentionally destabilized. The aim is to strengthen all muscles which are in the immediate vicinity of the movement axis. Thus one deals with a training device with therapeutical effect, wherein the appearance is of secondary importance.

Furthermore, many shoe soles or shoes are known that contain an integrated soft bedding or support. In-laid foam parts in soles or removable foot beddings in shoes are supposed to cushion the heel and the forefoot region or support the ankle joint. Although many of these shoes have fashionable designs, they do not take the requirements of the illness formation mentioned, whereby a metatarsal roll would be facilitated, into consideration.

SUMMARY

The object of the invention is to produce an item of footwear that takes the requirements of the wearer into consideration when there are complaints about the ankle joint, in the region of the metatarsus or the Achilles tendon, while simultaneously making it possible to dispense with the conventional metatarsal roll built up on the outer sole particularly for the purpose of a visually freer construction of the outer sole.

This objective is achieved by an item of footwear with an integrated metatarsal roll having the features of patent claim 1.

This solution is characterized in that into the sole shell of the item of footwear two molded parts, preferably from polyurethane (PU foam) or from another dampening material which are to be set to various grades of hardness, are incorporated and arranged superposed. In doing so the sole shell is joined in a conventional manner with the upper construction, comprising the upper part and the soft insole.

The special forming, arrangement and hardness setting of the inserts and the hardness setting of the sole shell, in conjunction with the upper construction, provide an effect during walking that is comparable with a metatarsal roll attached to the outside of the sole.

Preferred configurations of the invention become obvious from the sub-claims following the main claim.

Further features, details and advantages of the invention become obvious from the embodiment illustrated in the drawing. They show in:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 an item of footwear with integrated metatarsal roll in an explosive perspective view according to an embodiment of this invention,

FIG. 2—a top view on an outsole shell for an item of footwear with integrated metatarsal roll,

FIG. 3—a cross-section of an outsole shell for an item of footwear with integrated metatarsal roll in the forefoot region,

FIG. 4—a cross-section of an outsole shell for an item of footwear with integrated metatarsal roll in the region of the calcaneum,

FIG. 5—a longitudinal section of an outsole with integrated metatarsal roll,

FIG. 6—a cross-section of an outsole shell for an item of footwear with integrated metatarsal roll in the region of the metatarsus,

FIG. 7—a perspective view of a lower molded part for an item of footwear with integrated metatarsal roll,

FIG. 8—a momentary position during the rolling process with an item of footwear having an integrated metatarsal roll,

FIG. 9—another momentary position during the rolling process with an item of footwear having an integrated metatarsal roll, and

FIG. 10—a third momentary position during the rolling process with an item of footwear having an integrated metatarsal roll.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

An item of footwear according to the invention with an integrated metatarsal roll, to be called footwear in the following, comprises, as FIG. 1 illustrates, an upper part 1 that is joined with the insole 2, and two molded parts 3, 4 which superimposed are incorporated into an outsole shell 5.

The upper part 1 and the insole 2 are preferably made from soft leather or a synthetic material and, as shown in FIG. 1, are conventionally joined with an upper construction by a zig-zag seam or a back stitch or by bonding.

The outsole shell 5 is joined with the upper construction 1, 2 also conventionally by bonding or stitching.

The molded parts 3, 4, as well as the outsole shell 5, are preferably made from PU foam or another dampening material; the hardness of which can be set to various degrees. The molded part 3, situated on the top in the outsole shell 5 is, as illustrated in FIG. 2, incorporated flat up to an edge of approx. 10-12 mm.

The cross-sections of FIGS. 3 and 4 show how the molded part 3 looks like in a region of the forefoot 5A and in a region of the calcaneum 5C. In the region of the forefoot 5A the height of the molded part 3 is preferably at least 6 mm and in the region of the calcaneum 5C preferably at least 8 mm. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the molded part 3 is provided in the region of the metatarsus 5B over the molded part 4. It is approx. 4-6 mm high above its apex.

In principle, the height of the molded part 3 is to be set to suit the special requirements of the wearer. In this connection the weight, for example, of the wearer could be taken into consideration.

The molded part 4, incorporated into the outsole shell 5 below the molded part 3 is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, wedge-shaped at the front and the rear and tapers in the direction of the calcaneum area 5C and the region of the forefoot 5A. As depicted in FIG. 6, in the region of the metatarsus 5B the molded part 4 is higher along the inner longitudinal arch 5D than in the region of the outer longitudinal arch 5E. The general height can be freely adapted to suit the requirements of the wearer.

The molded parts 3, 4 as well as the outsole shell 5, are set for various degrees of hardness. The molded part 4, incorporated in the outsole shell 5 below the molded part 3, is harder than the molded part 3 and the outsole shell 5, while the molded part 3 is softer than the outsole shell 5.

As it can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, the molded parts 3 and 4 are so incorporated into the outsole shell 5, that after the introduction of the, for example, PU foam material, they are firmly enclosed by it. As it is shown in FIG. 2, the molded part 3, incorporated at the top, is visible only in the top view of the outsole shell.

Due to the soft insole 2 during walking or running with the item of footwear the foot presses in the first phase of the rolling process (FIG. 8) into the soft molded part in the region of the calcaneum 5C of the outsole shell. In the second phase (FIG. 9) the foot rolls over the harder molded part 4 in the region of the metatarsus 5B, and in the third phase (FIG. 10) enters into the soft forefoot region 5A of the molded part 3.

The mean setting of the hardness of the outsole shell 5 supports the entire process in a dampening manner. The design of the appearance of the outsole can be completely unrestricted. 

1. Footwear with integrated metatarsal rolls an upper of which is joined with an insole and an outsole shell, comprising: a first molded part and a second molded part superposed in the outsole shell, the second molded part in the outsole shell at a bottom is harder than the first molded part provided above it as well as the outsole shell, wherein the first molded part at a top is softer than the outsole shell.
 2. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first and second molded parts are made from a material having a setable degree of hardness.
 3. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein the outsole shell with the incorporated first and second molded parts is permanently joined with an upper construction, comprising the upper and the insole, while the insole is so soft that the foot can be pressed into the first and second molded parts of the outsole shell.
 4. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first molded part is joined flat with the outsole shell up to an edge of approx. 10-12 mm.
 5. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein a position of the second molded part is in a region of the metatarsus.
 6. Footwear with integrated metatarsal roll according to claim 1, wherein a height of the first molded part in a forefoot region is at least 6 mm, in a calcaneum region at least 8 mm and approx. 2-4 mm in the region of the metatarsus above an apex of the second molded part.
 7. Footwear with integrated metatarsal roll according to claim 1, wherein the first molded part is wedge-shaped within the outsole shell in a direction of a calcaneum and a forefoot and is of different height in regions of an outer and inner arches.
 8. Footwear with integrated metatarsal roll according to claim 1, wherein after injecting the material from which they are made, the first and second molded parts within the outsole shell are firmly enclosed by it, while in a top view of the outsole shell only the first molded part is visible.
 9. Footwear according to claim 2, wherein the material includes PU foam.
 10. Footwear having an integrated metatarsal roll, comprising: an upper; an insole joined to the upper; an outsole shell joined to the upper; and a first molded part and a second molded part positioned in the outsole shell, the second molded part in the outsole shell positioned below the first molded part, where the second molded part is harder than the first molded part and the outsole shell, and where the first molded part is softer than the outsole shell.
 11. Footwear according to claim 10, wherein that the outsole shell with the incorporated first and second molded parts is permanently joined with the upper and the insole.
 12. Footwear according to claim 11, wherein the first molded part is joined flat with the outsole shell up to an edge of approx. 10-12 mm.
 13. Footwear according to claim 12, wherein a position of the second molded part is in a region of the metatarsus.
 14. Footwear according to claim 13, wherein a height of the first molded part in a forefoot region is at least 6 mm, in a calcaneum region at least 8 mm and approx. 2-4 mm in a region of the metatarsus above an apex of the second molded part.
 15. Footwear according to claim 14, wherein the first molded part is wedge-shaped within the outsole shell in a direction of a calcaneum and a forefoot and is of different height in regions of outer and inner arches.
 16. Footwear comprising: an upper; an insole joined to the upper; an outsole shell joined to the upper; and a first molded part and a second molded part positioned in the outsole shell, the second molded part in the outsole shell positioned below the first molded part, where the second molded part is harder than the first molded part and the outsole shell, and where the first molded part is softer than the outsole shell, the first and second molded parts forming at least a portion of an integrated metatarsal roll. 